Distinct patterns of functional brain network integration between treatment-resistant depression and non treatment-resistant depression: A resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study

Background: Previous neuroimaging has paid little attention to the differences in brain network integration be-tween patients with treatment-resistant depression(TRD) and non-TRD (nTRD), and the relationship between their impaired brain network integration and clinical symptoms has not been elucidated.Method: Eighty one major depressive disorder (MDD) patients (40 in TRD, 41 in nTRD) and 40 healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled for the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans. A seed-based functional con-nectivity (FC) method was used to investigate the brain network abnormalities of default mode network (DMN), affective network (AN), salience network (SN) and cognitive control network (CCN) for the MDD. Finally, the correlation was analyzed between the abnormal FCs and 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression scale (HAMD-17) scores.Results: Compared with the HC group, the FCs in DMN, AN, SN, CCN were altered in both the TRD and nTRD groups. Compared with the nTRD group, FC alterations in the AN and CCN were more abnormal in the TRD group, and the FC alterations were generally decreased at the SN in the TRD group. In addition, the FC values of right dorsolateral prefrontal cortices and left caudate nucleus in the TRD group and the FC values of right subgenual anterior cingulate cortex and left middle temporal gyrus in the nTRD group were positively correlated with HAMD-17 scale scores.Conclusions: Abnormal FCs are present in four brain networks (DMN, AN, SN, CCN) in both the TRD and nTRD groups. Except of DMN, FCs in AN, SN and CCN maybe underlay the neurobiological mechanism in differenti-ating TRD from nTRD.

Automated summary

This study found abnormal functional connectivity (FC) in four brain networks (DMN, AN, SN, CCN) in both patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and non-TRD (nTRD). FC alterations in the affective network (AN) and cognitive control network (CCN) were more severe in the TRD group compared to the nTRD group. Additionally, specific brain regions' FC values were positively correlated with clinical symptoms.